


Red, White, and Blue

by VelvetSky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy made a bet, Darcy wears a tiny sparkly outfit, F/M, Fourth of July, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Steve Rogers's Birthday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-05-31 15:12:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15122141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetSky/pseuds/VelvetSky
Summary: Darcy makes a bet with Tony, a bet that she loses. The result is, she's forced to attend Tony's Fourth of July bash in a very tiny red, white, and blue get up, where Natasha waits for an opening to give Darcy and Steve a little nudge in each other's direction.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For Steve Rogers' 100th Birthday Celebration Week!!
> 
> This will be a 4 part/chapter fic. Posting one each day. 
> 
> Prompts used to inspire this fic were: Blue Button Down Shirt, Dressed Up, Red, White, and Blue, "Is this a test?"
> 
> Thanks to several folks who helped nudge the story along and/or gave it a proofread. However, it is not fully betaed and I'm sure there's still plenty of mistakes. Cause I don't know how to use commas. Thanks go out to: idontgettechnology, phoenix-173, catrinasl, & dizzyredhead!
> 
> Also note, the first two chapters don't actually have Steve in them. lol Just Darcy & Natasha.

Why Darcy had thought it a good idea to make a bet with Tony, she had no idea. She was blaming her lonely-ass birthday weekend a couple weeks earlier. Jane, along with pretty much every scientist in the building, had gone to some kind of science symposium thing for the weekend. Thor had taken off to deal with some Asgardian stuff, what with him being King and all, and several of the others were out on small missions, or working their own projects. The upper level staff in the Tower that weekend consisted of only Natasha and Tony, which had turned into drinks and a trivia game, largely geek driven. She had been so desperate for any kind of fun, and not to be alone on her birthday, she'd agreed to drinks and games, and somehow had made a bet.

Thus was how she came to be wearing red, white, and blue, and yet also, next to nothing. The skirt was a red mini, that barely covered her ass, and matching underwear, since flashing people in it was basically inevitable. The top was sequined blue, with red and white stars, halter style with ample cleavage. A party hat, in a top hat style, had also been provided. The red heels were pretty close to being stripper shoes. Her belly showed, which she did not like. That was not her best feature, in her opinion. Cleavage she could do sometimes, but midriff, not so much. And she didn't simply have to appear in it briefly. The bet, apparently, specifically stated attending the 4th of July party in whatever festive attire the winner chose, and the only stipulation was vital areas must have coverage. Which she supposed could have been worse; Tony could have chosen pasties and a g-string. But that didn't make her feel much better. The bet also stated they had to make a dramatic entrance. Tony, of course, informed her it would be dancing in to the song of his choosing.

The door chimed, and Darcy tossed her robe on to answer it. She really didn't want anyone seeing her in this thing, yet she somehow had to show up to the 4th of July bash on the party deck, in just under an hour, wearing this get-up. Everyone was back in the Tower, so the party was going to be full attendance, and then some. On the other side of the door stood Natasha, dressed in a red, white, and blue get-up of her own. Red sequined corset, with white lace-up and trim, and sequined blue booty shorts. "Hey."

"Hey, how's it coming? It fits, right? Tony took a guess at your size, and asked if I agreed with his guess." Natasha could tell the last few days that Darcy was getting more and more nervous about the 4th of July thing and what Tony had in mind, so she figured she could drop in and help her along.

Darcy was both impressed, and slightly troubled that Tony and Natasha had managed to figure her clothing size just by looking at her. She had the robe well wrapped, and had crossed her arms in front as well. "Sort of. I mean, I got it on. But the top doesn't cover my stomach. And the skirt barely covers my ass."

"I think that's probably the idea." Natasha chuckled, nudging her way inside and closing the door before reaching out to gently tug at Darcy's arm. She supposed she understood the nervousness, even though she herself didn't feel any. Most normal people probably got anxious about large numbers of people looking at them, especially if they felt uncomfortable at all in the moment. "Let me see. Are you wearing it, or did you change out of it?"

"Wearing it. But not nearly as well as you're wearing yours." Darcy looked down, and after a moment opened the front of the robe to show Natasha.

One corner of Nat's mouth smiled, just a bit. "You look fantastic. What are you worrying about? I know it's skimpy, but you look great."

"I definitely did not think about this scenario when I agreed to that bet." She moved to look in the mirror again, trying to suck in and move at the same time.

"Yeah, I think we got caught up in the drinking and games, and underestimated Tony's vast knowledge of useless trivia. It'll be fine though, this is perfect for the 4th of July. You will turn heads and then almost everyone will get too drunk to even remember anything." Natasha had come up behind her and was looking Darcy over, smiling. Apparently making the best of the situation. "Here, give me the robe."

Darcy pulled off the robe and let Nat toss it aside. "Couldn't we just tase him and wear something normal?"

"Well, that's technically an option, but is it really that bad? I haven't seen you get this nervous about anything before. I suppose I could see if Tony can find you a top that covers more. I'd trade you, but I'm not sure the sizes would be quite right." Natasha was gently tugging and fussing with Darcy's outfit, maybe trying to cover more.

Darcy doubted a top exchange would work either. Natasha was probably a firm small, where Darcy was more of a full medium. "Yeah, that's because usually my stomach isn't out for the world to see. My stomach was not made for this kind of exposure."

Natasha looked her over again, her gaze sweeping up and down a couple times, an intense level of concentration on her face. "I'm serious, you look fantastic. What's wrong with your stomach?"

"It's a little bit soft. Not all flat and tone, like seemingly every other woman in this building." Even if she discounted the superheroes, and former Shield types that worked there, there was still an insane number of flat bellies, like Jane, among the scientists and support staff. There were two women on the kitchen staff who were around her size, and one lady down in HR, but that was all she'd noticed. Sometimes Darcy thought she might as well be living in the America's Next Top Model house, with all the thin, beautiful women around.

"There's nothing wrong with not having a washboard stomach. It doesn't look bad in any way, shape, or form." Nat turned Darcy toward the mirror again and brushed her fingers at her stomach, then gripped Darcy's sides and squeezed. "I feel nothing wrong either."

Darcy laughed a little. "I don't know."

Natasha gave her a hug, and when she pulled back, she looked like she had a thought. "Do you have any body glitter?"

"Why? I don't think making it sparkly will help, it'll just attract more attention to it." Darcy hadn't worn body glitter in at least a few years, whenever her last futile attempt to get back out there after the Ian break up had been.

"Not necessarily. If it's glittery enough, the sparkle will distract people's vision from focusing too much." Nat was looking at Darcy's stomach again with a discerning eye.

"Only a little that I haven't used in a long time." It also was a fairly light glitter, just something that seemed like it would be fun when she tried going to a couple of nightclubs.

"Okay, finish getting ready, and I'll be right back." Natasha pat Darcy's shoulder and headed off. She knew she had something that would do the trick.


	2. Chapter 2

When dressed in thick tights, a dress that hit her knees (or nearly) and a wool coat over, Darcy could muster some confidence in how she looked, and that any guy who was looking wasn't just looking at her chest. But stripped down, her confidence waned. She walked into that party with Natasha looking flawless, while Darcy was hoping the glitter would keep the less desirable folks from looking too long and hard. The song Tony chose was Lenny Kravitz's version of "American Woman," and the directions he gave were pretty much a strip show without the stripping.

Fortunately, Darcy wasn't alone up there, and she felt like there were probably more eyes on Natasha than her. The cheering and overall energy of the party had her feeling a little easier as she got dancing. The thick, silver glitter that Nat had painted all over Darcy's stomach was so sparkly, even though it might catch people's attention, they probably weren't able to see the details of her imperfections so clearly.

When the song ended, Tony hopped up to draw everyone's attention. "Thank you, ladies! Now, everyone! Eat, drink, be merry, and Happy Fourth of July!"

Most of the attention shifted back to clusters of people socializing and enjoying the party once Tony stepped down.

"Not too bad, right? You looked like you actually had fun after the first twenty seconds." Natasha leaned in to speak close to Darcy's ear. Not that she'd relished the scene, but she'd been forced to do much worse in her life. A little dancing in a skimpy outfit at a party was small potatoes.

"Not too bad. But can I hang with you a little longer?" Darcy didn't feel as completely out of sorts as when she'd first gotten dressed, but she could tell the look was attracting attention she didn't want to deal with.

Nat linked her arm through Darcy's and started moving slowly through the crowd. "Of course, why do you ask?"

"Just noticing that the heads that turned are the ones I'd prefer left me alone." She rolled her eyes a bit as she spoke and shook her head.

"Oh? Who and why?" Natasha was scanning the crowd already, trying to pick out the lookers, and the look in her eyes said 'ready to murder.'

"No need to pounce yet. I usually ignore them. I have told them all I'm not interested in the past. Mostly harmless, just annoying. But I don't need to spend the night rebuffing drunken pick-ups. And I think they won't bother even trying if you're in the vicinity." Darcy didn't want to crowd Nat at the party, but it seemed like the easiest way to avoid having to creatively duck out of several annoying conversations she didn't want to have, especially not while dressed the way she was.

"Okay, I still want to know who. If they make a habit of bad behavior with you or others, they shouldn't be working here." Her expression was quite firm and serious, still visually sweeping the crowds, feeling like she had a few ideas about who the offending guys might be.

"At eleven o'clock, clean cut, average height, thin but tone build, dark brown hair, late twenties. Works in HR, name's Dave. Every time I go in there, he talks directly to my boobs. Even if they're covered. Probably the best of the bunch, cause he's never said anything really bothersome, he just can't seem to look anywhere other than my chest." Darcy had nodded slightly but kept her eyes on Nat while she spoke. Glancing just a moment toward the next fellow, before continuing on. "And five o'clock, clean cut again, taller, and built, dirty blond, thirty-two, has a wedding ring he tries to hide sometimes. Security, named Craig. I actually saw him slip the ring in his pocket before coming up and asking me out for drinks once. Feel like he might make a habit of that behavior. Another, Wes, over pretending to listen to one of Rhodey's stories, cause the dude is a massive Tony groupie. Engineer works a floor below Jane. Dark hair, goatee. Trying to look like Tony, but it's not working for him. Has a habit of getting in my personal space, doesn't touch, but stands too close, leans in like we're friends when I never say more than a couple sentences to him at a time in the elevator. And jokes that he wants to try out his pick up lines on me in the elevator, and they are all terrible."

"Okay, the last two definitely sound unacceptable. I'm going to look into that tomorrow. I hope they enjoy the party, cause I think it's their last here. The first one, I'll keep an eye on. You stick with me tonight, and they won't bother you." Natasha weaved the way through, to the couches, and sat down. She already had a thought turning in her head, she just needed the right opening to nudge Darcy in the right direction.

Trying to sit was worse than standing. It was harder to suck in, without also looking as if she were doing a bad impersonation of a model lounging on a motorcycle. She immediately curled one arm in front of her stomach because even the glitter was not going to obscure the softness there in this position. Darcy did her best to sit up straight without looking awkward. And without the backside of the skirt feeling like it was going to give her plumber cleavage. It was probably going to be a long night attempting to not feel incredibly uncomfortable.


	3. Chapter 3

The core of the Avengers, and those closest to them, all drifted past the couches during the next hour. Pausing to chat, some sat down a while. When Steve wandered over, clearly trying not to stare at the extra sparkly Darcy, Natasha waved him over and pulled him to sit down on the other side of her, a spot which had been recently vacated when Clint got up to get them some more drinks and food. It was the opening she had been looking for.

After about fifteen minutes, Nat decided it was time. She leaned into Steve and whispered. "Stay with her until I get back, there are a few creeps at the party that she doesn't want to deal with. Okay? Thanks." She patted his knee and stood up before he could respond. "I'm going to use the ladies room and see where Clint and the food is."

Natasha was on the move before Darcy could try to get up and follow. She felt Steve glance and then look away when she turned her head to him. They'd been introduced a couple of times after Darcy arrived, and Darcy couldn't help smiling at Steve whenever she caught sight of him. While they'd crossed paths at times either at these parties or while working, they hadn't actually conversed much. He looked back at her again and she smiled, then he did. Darcy shifted, re-crossing her legs in his direction, and his gaze wandered for a moment to the action, then jumped back to her face, and away when she smiled again.

Steve tugged at the collar of his deep blue dress shirt and forced his focus back to Darcy's face before attempting to cut the silence. "Uh, Nat said I should sit with you until she comes back. That there's some guy bothering you this evening?"

"Oh. Yeah, sorry, guess you're stuck with me for a bit." Darcy laughed a little, but his expression seemed to darken a bit. "But, um, I'll be fine, really, if you have someplace else to be, you don't have to stay."

"No. No. That's not it. Is someone bothering you?" Steve quickly felt like he was probably failing at being any less bothersome than whoever this other person was who might have been making her uncomfortable.

"I mean, they haven't come up to me tonight. But there's a couple dudes, who may have been raised in barns or something. I noticed them staring when Natasha and I finished that ridiculous dance entrance that Tony set up. And I just didn't want to deal with them trying to hit on me when I look like this. On a normal day, I could deal with it, but not in this get-up." She looked down at herself and felt a bit exposed again. Once she'd settled a bit on the couch, she'd kept her arm mostly in front of her stomach and sat carefully, but otherwise had stopped actually thinking about what she was wearing or how she looked in it. She tried to hide her belly better, and the other arm laid over the upper part of her thighs.

"It might be a little much, showing way more than you need to, but you looked good dancing. Not just dancing. You look good now. I mean, not that I'm looking. Just... the outfit shows so much, but it's all nice to look at since it's showing. Not because I was trying to look. I looked because you're beautiful, but I'm not looking. Oh god, sorry." Steve couldn't seem to stop his mouth, she looked self conscious, and he wanted her not to feel that way, because she was gorgeous. But he definitely ran over the line into 'weirdo' territory. Beautiful dames had always gotten him all tongue tied. He shook his head, dropping his face into his palm. "I'm being weird and creepy now. You can walk away if you want. I promise I won't look, either."

Darcy couldn't help giggling at the end of Steve's ramble. She had been a bit stunned, for a moment, when he had started, but that was because she'd noticed a few other guys eyeing her up during - and right after - her big entrance, but Steve had definitely not been among the stares that she'd noticed. Her fingers brushed his shoulder for just a moment, and she shifted a little closer. "I believe you. And you aren't being creepy. Just looking doesn't make someone a creep. It's how they look, and what they do after that. I didn't even see you looking. You must very subtle."

Her giggle made him smile and allowed Steve the nerve to look over at her again, catching eye contact with her immediately. "Maybe. I have noticed you, not only tonight. I gather Tony got to choose the outfits."

Darcy blushed when Steve made it clear he'd noticed her before. She nodded with another slight giggle. "And the entrance."

Steve snickered slightly. "That figures. Can you change now so you don't feel uncomfortable?"

"No, the bet Natasha and I lost stipulates that we have to wear these outfits the whole party. I was a little drunk when we made the bet, and I don't fully remember how the terms came to be. Natasha said Tony and I got on a roll upping the stakes, so I suppose it's my own fault. I'm not sure what I would have made him wear, but he probably would look great in sequins. Lesson learned, never make drunk bets with Tony." She shrugged a little with a smile.

Steve laughed at the idea of Tony in sequins. At least Steve wasn't having any trouble with looking at things he shouldn't. Talking to her, he was pretty hooked on her eyes. "Probably a good idea. I wish I'd brought a coat with me I could give you, but it wasn't that cold, so I left it in my room. And I'd give you my shirt, but I didn't wear an undershirt. Although, if you're really uncomfortable..."

Darcy smiled brighter but shook her head. "That's okay. It's sweet that you'd even think of that. And I don't know if Tony would call foul on it anyway."

"But what if you get cold?" Steve's gaze swept over her, and landed back on her eyes. The outfit was so barely there. It felt comfortable in the room to him, but he was wearing jeans and a long sleeved button down shirt, though the sleeves were rolled up a bit on his forearms.

"Then I'm just cold I guess. At least it's a warm night, and Tony seems to keep the thermostat in the comfy zone, so hopefully, it won't come to that." Darcy chuckled softly at herself. Cold was not on Darcy's list of concerns at the moment.

"Besides the exposure factor, are you comfortable?" Steve's hands shifted in the air, almost like he wanted to touch her, put a hand on her shoulder or something, but he was unsure how to do that, especially given her outfit.

"Eh, it could be worse. Though, the shoes are getting to me a little, even sitting down." The shoes had been snug and were higher a heel than she'd have ever willingly chosen to wear. She was essentially on her toes when she walked, with a bit of support to her heel.

Steve's hand finally landed on her back. He was just focused enough on her situation to not over think his hand, yet attentive enough to land it where the sequined back of the halter top went around the middle of her back. "Take them off, then."

"Tony might call foul." She noticed Steve's hand, but her only reaction to it was to smile a little more.

That smile was a shot of pure confidence right into his soul. "First, I think Tony is too distracted being the center of attention to notice if you've still got shoes on or not. And second, if by chance he does notice, I'll deal with him okay. I mean, you have to sit in something you're not really comfortable in. If you can make it a little less uncomfortable, do it."

Darcy practically beamed at him. What he said, the way he said it, it was all perfect. "You're probably right." She shifted, reaching with one hand to try to undo the buckle on the shoe, her other arm still guarding against anyone getting a clear look at how her stomach looked, especially as she leaned over.

"Here. I mean, I could, if you want?" Steve's hand had moved, and he leaned a bit, but stopped, not wanting to go touching her shoes without her actually being okay with that.

"Oh, um, sure." It was a little strange. No one had helped her with her shoes since she was a child. No one had ever offered, and she'd never thought to ask, but it was also sort of sweet.

Steve undid the buckle on one shoe, as she tilted her foot so he could get at it better, and he gently slid it off, before doing the same to the other shoe. He was careful to only touch her shoes and not her. He didn't want to be too forward. The sighs she made when he pulled off each shoe made him smile more. He nudged the shoes under the coffee table in front of them and sat up straight again. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." Darcy stretched and wiggled her toes, smiling, now that they were free. She reached and for a moment touched his arm when she said 'thank you', and her last two fingers made contact with the flesh of his forearm. Their eyes made contact immediately upon skin contact.

Her fingers started to pull away, and Steve wasn't completely sure how his brain didn't check his action, but he reached for her hand. He caught her fingers a bit awkwardly, and then loosened when he realized his action, so she could pull away if she wanted to. Darcy didn't pull her hand away though, her fingers shifted, fitting her hand more naturally into his, and gave his hand a squeeze. In helping her with her shoes, Steve had shifted a bit closer to her on the couch, and with that squeeze, he closed what small gap between their hips had existed. He also clasped her hand a little snugger, even putting his other hand over the back of her hand. "You're welcome. And let me know if you spot any of those guys coming this way."

"I somehow doubt any of them will bother me if you're sitting here." If not for some slight awareness of exposing her stomach, Darcy would have put her other hand on his. She wasn't cold, but his warm hands around hers sure felt nice, on more than one level. The only movements she made were to squeeze his hand and rub her thumb against his skin. "It's your birthday today, right?"

"Yeah, but I'd rather focus on it being Independence Day." His eye contact faltered for a moment, when he looked down, his eyes almost closed a moment, before gazing back at her.

"Why don't you like to celebrate? If you don't mind me asking?" People had all kinds of reasons for such things, she was just curious what Steve's was.

"I never had many people to celebrate with. The few I had, were always there... until they couldn't be. My mom, Bucky. But otherwise, it was the 4th of July. Which I liked, it was nice in a way. But I never felt a need to make any kind of thing, over it being my birthday specifically. I usually had a nice day, most of the time. And there were fireworks and things like that." Steve shrugged a bit, with a little smile. He wasn't interested in the attention a lot of people sought from a birthday party. He just cared about the people he cared about being with him. And it didn't much matter what they were doing for the day, but it being the 4th of July had meant there was almost always something going on.

"When I was a kid I always wanted to have birthday parties, but my mom kind of broke me of that before my teen years. Mostly I just liked spending time with friends. Which might be how this happened." Darcy tried to gesture at her outfit with the hand she was trying to keep in front of her stomach.

"How, what? The outfit?" Steve felt he was missing something in how that connected.

Darcy laughed and shook her head a bit, realizing why Steve probably didn't get the connection. "Oh. My birthday was a couple weeks ago. I was feeling lonely with almost everyone else out of the building. I was at least one whole glass of wine in with some ice cream and a movie when Tony and Natasha turned up and the whole trivia bet ensued."

"Ah, okay." Steve chuckled softly, his hands massaging lightly at her hand. "Your hand is soft."

Darcy definitely blushed, she could feel it in her cheeks. "Yours are, too. I would have figured with all the Captain America work, your hands would be more calloused or something."

"I do wear gloves. And the serum might have something to do with it." Steve liked that she'd referred to Captain America as work. That she didn't see him as just a superhero. Though he had to admit it was a big part of who he was, he still liked to think it wasn't all he was. He brushed one finger over his own hand. He'd never really stopped to think about how soft or not his own hands were. He supposed they were fairly soft, but his pondering of it stopped, when her other hand moved away from guarding her stomach to brush over the back of one of his hands. The effort it took to suppress a quiver at the sensation distracted him from everything other than the feeling of her fingers on his skin. Hoping no one beyond her noticed anything too out of the ordinary as he definitely clutched her hand a bit tighter.

Shifting just a bit, Darcy hoped to mostly obscure her bare midriff with her arm, while keeping hold of Steve's hands. She smiled when he adjusted whatever way was needed to better accommodate her. "So you don't have to moisturize or anything?" Her fingers stroked the back of his hand and trailed down his fingers as she spoke.

Steve stifled a chuckle at the question. As her fingers started moving over his skin, he licked and pursed his lips, inhaling deep. "No, I never really thought about any of that." His gaze shifting to their hands tangled together, his fingers, on one hand, tickling the inside of her wrist.

The way Darcy drew in a breath and shifted from his touch was clearly visible, as were her eyes closing for at least two Mississippi before opening to see Steve staring at her. "So what do you do when you're not out Captain America-ing?"

He couldn't hold back the chuckle at that one, especially given the little glint in Darcy's eyes when she asked. "I don't know. I read, draw, run, hit the gym, try to catch up on things I missed that people say are worth checking out from when I was on ice."

"I'm guessing there's plenty of things to catch up on. But I'm kind of curious to back up to that drawing thing. You draw?" Darcy was smiling, the eyebrow and one corner of her mouth up a little higher, while her eyes went a little wider and softer.

Steve hadn't even thought about it. His art wasn't always something he shared with other people. Not that he actively concealed it, it just didn't come up, and he didn't offer it up. But it had just come out when she asked. His cheeks may have pinked just a bit. The words came out a bit slowly, but she kept looking into his eyes and he sort of just kept talking, his voice soft and low, leaned close for only her to hear. "Yeah, I sketched a lot, growing up. Paper and pencils weren't terribly expensive, and even when I wasn't feeling real well, I sometimes had enough strength to sit up and use a pencil. I found it an escape from the realities of life and a place to express feelings I had no other outlet for. Talking about things and feelings wasn't really something most people did much of back then. Especially men, and being sick a lot and small, I may have felt like I needed to be extra tough with my feelings and how much weakness I let show. It was slightly more socially acceptable for women to express feelings, but even they didn't talk so much about their feelings back then either. I think I saw my mother cry all of twice in my life, and that was only because I wandered into a room so quietly she didn't hear me coming. It's probably healthier now, people trying to be more open and expressive about their feelings and about others doing the same. It's something I'm still working on. I don't think I'll ever be able to join a group the way Sam does, and share with people who I don't know that well, but I try to be open and upfront with people I care about, and people I'm trying to know better, at least to the best of my ability. Often, though, drawing is still the best way for me to work through feelings. I can do it on my own, in my own time."

Her expression softened the more he spoke, but the smile seemed to shine a little brighter in her eyes. Darcy squeezed his hands nearly as firm as she could. "That seemed pretty expressive, given we're still getting to know each other. Maybe you're better at it than you think, sharing with words. I am curious about what you draw, but understand if it's too personal to share those." 

"Well, I'm trying, because I would like to know you better. There might be some drawings I could show you soon, I guess we'll have to see." There was a little grin crossing Steve's features. "How do you feel about portraits? And what are some things you do, especially to relieve stress?"

There was something about the look in his eyes that said he was leading somewhere with those questions. "Is this a test?'

"Maybe a little bit." Steve chuckled, she was still smiling and brushing her thumbs against his skin.

"A flattering portrait sounds like a nice thing, generally. As for stress relievers, I like music, reading, dancing, cooking or baking, crafting." Darcy listed things slowly, watching Steve's face, and there was a little twitch of his lips and a glimmer in his eyes. "Did you draw me? And was I dancing when you did?"

"I didn't stand and watch for too long, or stand there and draw it then. I didn't have my pad, or a pencil or pen. But I may have happened by the labs one time, a month or so ago, and you were singing and dancing to Nolita Fairytale, and there was something a little magical, maybe, about it. I think you were the only one there. So that evening I did start drawing you dancing." His eyes held that glimmer that only seemed to grow as he recalled the moment.

"You knew the song?" Darcy's eyes got wide, but the smile was still clear as day on her face.

"Not at the time, no. But I looked it up. I could hear it, and eidetic memory. Also how I could draw you without you being in front of me, at the time." Steve was glad she was still smiling, and holding his hands since he felt a little strange admitting that to her. The more she smiled, the more he felt the little currents of electricity jumping through his body.

"Did you like it? The song?" Something in her said it probably wasn't what he'd be into, but maybe he had been expanding his music tastes in recent years. Still, she thought most people who liked that song, who liked Vanessa Carlton to begin with, were probably mostly female, and mostly in a certain age bracket.

"I kind of did. I listened to it while I drew." While being Captain America certainly kept him busy, Steve had found time over the last several years to do some catching up on modern pop culture. Many people had recommended music to him. Most of it he didn't hate. Even the ones he wasn't sure about at first. Sometimes it took reading up on the artist and learning about them and their background to put the music into a perspective he could understand better. It brought him new appreciation and understanding of the music.

"Really?" Darcy grinned a bit, something about that just excited her. "And you think I could get a look at that drawing sometime?"

"Seems only fair, I suppose." Steve was grinning at that point too. "Yes, I really did listen to the song, and some of her others, while drawing you. I probably never would have heard it, if I hadn't seen you dancing to it, but I read about her, her music, it was interesting. I find I learn unexpected things about people and the times I missed by finding out about people's stories."

Darcy let out a little momentary exhale laugh. "That's kind of impressive, and interesting. When you draw, do you usually listen to music?"

"No, not usually, but it seemed to help me get the movement and feeling right since I wasn't drawing as it was happening. It gave me some of the atmosphere. Sometimes I draw things just out of my mind, but usually, I do draw things I'm looking at, and the feeling of the moment, and the scene, can play into the feeling of the sketch." The way she looked back at him had Steve's heart fluttering in ways he hadn't been sure it capable of anymore. "I always worked that way, but after the serum, all my senses were turned way up. Which made feeling everything around me - especially while I was drawing - even more intense. Scents, patterns, colors I didn't pick up on before because well, my vision and sense of smell were pretty bad. My hearing was even worse."

"I bet that was quite an experience, suddenly being able to perceive the word more sharply. Does that make something like a party like this chaotic, or can you also tune in and out of things more easily?" The party had music playing, and bunches of conversations, but it was all just background noise to her. She had fairly good senses, aside from a bit of far-sightedness, she still noticed if something big or noticeable happened nearby, but could easily keep it from distracting her unless it appeared important.

"I can focus in on things. The first few days after, there was some adjustment. I guess I adapted quickly." He laughed a bit, looking around at the party, he'd all but forgotten, for a moment, before his gaze landed back on Darcy. "I haven't really paid close attention to anything other than you since Natasha left. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened at this party, at least from any other Tony party, other than you sitting next to me."

Darcy flushed, and her forehead dropped to Steve's shoulder. Laughing softly, until one of his hands pulled from hers, and she felt his fingers tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear. That got her to lift her head, and his eyes held a question, while his lips smiled ever so slightly. She lifted one hand and faintly brushed her fingertips along his jaw. "You sure do know how to make a girl's heart race."

"How would you feel about maybe getting away from the chaos of the party?" Steve pushed himself to get the words out, his insides felt tangled in knots, but he hoped it wasn't too forward, given the way her reactions felt.

"I'd like that. Do you think Tony will notice if I disappear before the end of the party?" She glanced around, trying to see where Tony had gotten to, but she couldn't spot him.

Steve scanned the room. "I don't see him, he's probably past caring what you and the outfit are doing."

"Then I definitely don't mind less people seeing me in this. I would like to see the fireworks though... They're probably starting in a half hour or so." The sun was fading in the sky, and it would probably be dark enough for the fireworks show soon. Darcy always loved that part.

He spoke slowly, gauging her reactions to nearly every word. "I think I know a spot with a pretty good view. Where we'll be able to relax. You can put something else on, either you can go change first, or I probably have something you can put on."

It was slow enough, Darcy jumped in, unsure if he'd planned to say more. "Was that your way of inviting me to your room?"

Steve flushed. Her smile, and her hands not moving from where they were, kept him from panicking. But he was kicking himself a little for not saying it clearly, and maybe coming off like he was trying to be sneaky about where he wanted to take her. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to be sneaky or unclear."

Darcy squeezed his hand when she saw the worry in his eyes and shook her head at his apology. "I didn't think you were. It was cute. And I would accept that invitation, if you're still making it."

"Yes." Steve felt like he said that too fast, but chuckled when she laughed a little. They both shifted to stand up. "Oh, did you want the shoes?"

"Nah, Tony got them for the outfit. I'll never wear them for anything else, especially since they were a little snug." Darcy tried to adjust her outfit, tugging here and there to get as much coverage as she could.

Steve reached for her hand, and they laced their fingers together before making their way to the elevator and down to Steve's room.


	4. Chapter 4

The elevator was quick, it was just a few floors. Steve's room had a view of the East River, but without the chaos of the party.

"Do you want to pick something out to put on? Or...?" Steve wasn't sure what she wanted to do to get more comfortable, but he wanted her to be comfortable.

"What do you have to offer? I mean, a sweatshirt or something is fine." Darcy was figuring on whatever he had that was easy, like the coat he'd mentioned earlier. The temperature didn't require more layers, but she wasn't going to assume he was cool with her just taking whatever clothes he had.

"Whatever you want to put on. If you want to just throw something over, or change... I have tee shirts and some pajama pants that might stay on you if you want to try them." Steve wasn't sure what would fit her for sure, but he thought it might work.

"I'm short but not that small around, so I don't know that anything would be that oversized on me. Especially not those tight little shirts you wear." They both laughed. She couldn't help it, the shirts were outrageously snug on him. Not that she was complaining when he walked around showing off the biceps without even trying.

He lead her to the dresser drawers with his tees and pajama pants. "Pick whatever is comfortable."

Before she did more than glance at the drawers, Darcy looked up at him with a little gleam in her eye. "Are you going to get dressed down, too?"

"Sure." Steve wasn't even sure why he was grinning so much at that, but the notion of her wanting to be comfy and cozy with him just got him humming inside. One of his hands came to rest in the middle of her back when she leaned a little closer.

"Can I pick out a shirt and pants for you too?" Hands clasped together, her eyes big and hopeful.

Steve had to laugh, his other hand finding her hip without any thought on his part. "Sure, you're picking from my clothes, so I know it can't be too bad."

She bounced and tossed her arms around his shoulders in a hug, which he quickly reciprocated, his arms wrapping around her. When he hugged her back, Darcy was in no rush to move, especially when she felt the tip of a couple of his fingers grazing skin just above and below the back of her sequined halter top. "I wouldn't pick anything bad, I'd hope. I'd want you to feel good in whatever you wore."

"Thanks, that's good to know. I want you to be comfortable, too." One of Steve's hands moved to brush at her hair again. He liked the soft tickle of her hair through his fingers. And he definitely liked the look she gave him when he did it. Eyes all big and soft and shining, with her lips ever so slightly parted. It drew him in a little closer, his nose faintly brushing hers.

Darcy's fingers brushed up the back of his neck and tilted her head a little closer, her nose brushing his. She wanted the kiss, but she wanted to be sure he was completely on board. Her words little more than a breath on his lips. "I am very comfortable right now."

Steve hardly had to move at all to make contact. That breath, the words, it was all he needed to push him forward. When her lips moved against his, Steve's shoulders loosened as he sighed. He felt her smile before she softly tugged on his bottom lip with her own, and it made him chuckle a little. Their lips nipped and teased for a few moments before they pulled back enough to look at each other. "Let's get more comfortable so we can catch the fireworks."

"Good plan." Her hands slid over his shoulders, and down his chest before Darcy pushed away. He loosened his hold when she did, but hovered close as she pulled out a shirt and pants, and handed them to him, before grabbing a shirt for herself. She pulled it on right there and began fussing with the halter top.

Steve's eyes were a bit wide, not that he could see anything, still, it seemed vaguely illicit in his brain. "Changing right here?"

"I can get the halter off with the shirt on, I think." She'd gotten the strap off her neck but was trying to actually undo the back so she could get it off. "And my underwear are on underneath these, and cover near as much, but I can go in the bathroom or something if this is too weird."

"No, it's okay. Should I just change here then too?" Steve's eyebrow went up with a smile, finding himself getting more at ease with each moment in her company.

Darcy stopped fussing with her clothes for a moment and smiled. "If you're comfortable."

His nod was soft but clear. "Need help?"

"That might be good. Can you undo it?" Darcy lifted the back of the grey t-shirt so he could see the back of the halter, which hooked much like a bra, only there were seven hooks.

Steve hadn't dealt in a lot of bra hooks, but he made fairly easy work of them. "Got it!" There was a broad smile, and flush on his cheeks, when she turned around, pulling the top off from under his tee shirt and setting it on top of his dresser.

"Can I put this here?" She wanted him to be comfortable, not just in what he wore, but in what was happening.

"Sure." He was possibly a bit stunned, his mind processing everything he'd just done. Just long enough he saw the crinkle in her brow and smiled at her. "Let me catch up."

"Okay, fair enough." Darcy wasn't sure for a moment if she should perhaps turn around, or not look right at him. That thought went right out the window when Steve tapped the top buttoned button on his shirt, his head slightly bowed, eyes big, and the hint of a pout. She giggled, moving to help him with his buttons. "That look is not fair though."

"Gotta take whatever edge I can get." He leaned in a little more and caught her lips, letting his hands settle softly on her hips, while her fingers slowly went from button to button. Here and there, a soft fingertip would graze his skin. Steve forced his mind to stay on just the kiss. There was time for other things later, he didn't want to go too fast, even if he really felt like he had waited a lifetime to find this kind of hope, again.

Darcy wasn't trying to make contact, it just happened as she unbuttoned the buttons. His skin was soft and warm though, and she was trying to resist the desire to simply press herself against him, to slide her arms inside his shirt and around him. But she didn't want to rush anything, it felt too forward, even if he'd requested the help with his shirt. Their lips kept moving together as she undid the last button, and un-tucked his shirt. Grasping each side of his open shirt with a hand, she held on, humming softly as one of his hands slid up her back and into her hair. They continued like that for a minute or two, before Darcy pulled back to breathe. She opened her eyes, to see his eyelids fluttering open as well. Her smile spread from there. "That was very, very nice."

The fingers in her hair lightly stroking the back of her head, his thumb skimming her ear. "It was. I suppose we should finish getting comfy before the fireworks."

"Yes! I love fireworks." Darcy quickly kissed his cheek before releasing his shirt and pulling back to give them both space. "It's pretty, and only happens a couple times a year. Fourth of July and New Years."

Steve let his hands fall away from her when she moved, and for a moment just watched as she wiggled her way out of her skirt, and then the matching underwear. She had her regular underwear underneath, which were light blue with little grey hearts on them. He quickly pulled off his shirt and pulled on the tee she'd pulled out for him, before shucking his shoes, socks, and pants. Though he made no move to put on the pajama pants she'd pulled out. When she grinned at him, he grinned back. "What do you think?"

"No pants?" Her eyebrow quirked up. She'd picked him out a blue t-shirt, and his boxer briefs were a dark grey, it was definitely a good look.

"You can if you want, but is this okay with you?" Stepping one step closer, his arms out in a questioning form.

Darcy couldn't help giggling a bit. He was sexy and adorable all at once. "I like it. If you're doing no pants, maybe I will too. Not like my legs haven't been on display all night long to the masses. I don't mind it if you're looking at them."

"No? I can look." Steve had glanced, but he had done his best not to stare too much at anything other than her face. He finally let his gaze slowly roll down, and back up. Taking in the way she looked, in essentially just one of his shirts. He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath after.

Watching him look her over had Darcy biting her lip, and she sighed at almost the same time he did. "You can look all you want. I might not be opposed to touching either. If you feel like it."

Steve stepped in close, his fingertips brushing the middle of the outside of her thigh. The deep breath it caused in her made him tingle all over. "I like that. I've got, one really comfy chair, or two fairly comfy chairs, or the floor for fireworks viewing, your choice."

"One really comfy chair sounds nice." Darcy grabbed hold of the neck of his shirt, he leaned in before she even tugged, though. Their lips moved with moderate force and lingered only a moment before they moved toward the windows.

Steve pulled the oversized armchair over, so they had a nice view. The sky was growing darker, and the fireworks would likely start shortly. He sat down and took hold of her hand, pulling her to sit down with him. The way she moved and sat, it felt like slow motion to him, as she curled into him, her legs pulling up into the chair, and his lap. Steve wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Now this is the birthday I always hoped for but never thought I'd have."

Her head lifted up to look at him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "I'm glad I could help you with that, especially since this is technically One-zero-zero, isn't it? This is a really nice way to spend an evening. And even if you aren't into doing much for your birthday, I hope I can make it a little special for you."

"You are making it one of the most special just by being here, like this, with me." Steve loved that when he leaned in, her lips met him halfway. They nipped softly a few times at each other's lips and then smiled. Steve's got a little bigger after a moment. "It is technically 100. How do you feel about dating an old man?"

Darcy giggled, one arm around his shoulders, her fingers dancing lightly along his neck and shoulder. "It's not something I'd anticipated, but sometimes the good things, you just can't see coming."

Steve had let one hand settle on her knee, while the other was wrapped snug around her body. His fingers on her knee mirroring what her fingers were doing to his neck. "Is there something besides just the lights in the sky that you like about fireworks, or is it just a feeling you get from it."

"Mostly just the feeling. It always seemed kind of spectacular, and special. When I was a kid, I remember either sitting up on the roof of the house, or the car, and trying to see as many of the fireworks as I could. I often couldn't see some of the lower ones, blocked by trees and such. But I guess the magic never quite wore all the way off. Fourth of July especially, it's a little more casual than New Year's. I remember having a few really fun Fourth of Julys growing up." There was a soft tickling sensation that started where his fingers were touching her knee, and they spread out, crawling over her whole body. "Did you get fireworks growing up?"

"Usually, not as big as the shows are now. But there were some, both at New Years and the Fourth of July. New Years was sometimes not as easy for me either, sometimes it was too cold to be out, especially with my asthma. But evening time, during the summer, usually wasn't too bad, most of the time. There were a couple years where I was forced to stay in at home on my birthday because I wasn't well enough. My mom and Bucky always did what they could though, to make the day good, despite not feeling well. My twelfth birthday was rough. The depression had hit, I was having issues beyond asthma. But once I was feeling a little better, a week or two later, my mom had quietly scraped up enough ingredients to make a cake, which didn't happen very often." Steve's smile was soft, eyes shone just a little.

Darcy's other hand had been resting on his chest until he mentioned his mom when it moved to caress his cheek. "Did your mom cook much, or was she too busy? Did I hear right that she worked?"

"She did work, as a nurse. She cooked often, I tried to sometimes as I got older though. It was never fancy, mostly boiled meats and potatoes. Whatever was cheap and simple. Baking she said she liked doing, but rarely had time for. I think she'd have liked you. She was tough, but kind." It was strange talking about his mother, it was something he really hadn't done with anyone other than Sam and Bucky. But he was feeling at ease, and the warmth in Darcy's eyes made him feel safe.

They both turned when they spotted a burst of light in the sky, and that first boom sounded. "Ooo! Pretty!"

"It is pretty. Pretty beautiful." Steve was watching her more than the fireworks. When she looked at him, he simply smiled.

Darcy pressed her lips to his, moving slow, lingering for the sound of a few firework bangs, before pulling back. "You're pretty beautiful."

Steve chuckled, as she grinned at him a moment, before turning her gaze back to the windows. He held her close, and they watched quietly as the fireworks splashed across the night sky.


End file.
